Austria Defeats Jordan 3-1 In Chaotic Group J Battle
- Alex McCaskey
- 20 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Credit Opta Analyst
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
In the second Group J match on June 16th, Austria defeated Jordan 3-1 as they opened group play in San Francisco.
The win was a special one as it marked the first World Cup win for Austria in 36 years. Additionally, this match was a closer battle than the other Group J match that took place earlier in the day.
Romano Schmid opened the scoring in the 21st minute with a strike from 26 yards out in the 21st minute to give Austria a 1-0 lead. That lead would hold as both teams went to the locker room with one goal separating the two sides.
The second half provided more fireworks as Ali Olwan tied the game at one in the 50th minute with a shot from 19 yards out. However, things changed as an own goal in the 76th minute from Jordanian defender Yazan Al-Arab put Austria in the lead 2-1. Marko Arnautovic closed the door as he converted a penalty in extra time to give Austria a 3-1 win after the final whistle blew.
The stats tell an interesting story. Both sides were even with four shots on goal each. Possession heavily favored the Austrians who controlled the ball for 63% of the match compared to 37% for the Jordanians.
Like we saw in the other Group J matchup, these teams were not afraid to be physical with 19 fouls committed. Austria led the way with 12 fouls compared to seven for Jordan. Will physical play be the story during the group stage? It sure seems like it.
Both teams are back in action on Monday June 22nd as Austria travels to Dallas for a 1:00 pm battle with Argentina to see who can take sole possession at the top of the group, while Jordan stays in the Bay Area as they welcome Algeria for an 11:00 pm kickoff.
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